Certain refrigerator appliances include an ice maker. In order to produce ice, liquid water is directed to the ice maker and frozen. A variety of ice types can be produced depending upon the particular ice maker used. For example, certain ice makers include a mold body for receiving liquid water. An auger or ejector within the mold body can rotate and scrape ice off an internal surface of the mold body to form ice nuggets or cubes. Once ice is scraped off the mold body, it may be stored within an ice bin or bucket within refrigerator appliance. In order to maintain ice in a frozen state, the ice bin is positioned within a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance or a separate compartment behind one of the doors. In some appliances, a dispenser is provided in communication with the ice bin to automatically dispense a selected or desired amount of ice to a user (e.g., through a door of the user appliance). Typically, a rotating agitator or sweep is a provided within the ice bin to help move ice from the ice bin to the dispenser.
Although delivery of ice through, for example, a door of a refrigerator appliance may be useful, existing systems present a number of problems. As an example, it may be difficult to see ice within the ice bin. As another example, there may be instances when a user may wish to remove an ice bin from the refrigerator appliance. However, removal of an ice bin can be difficult and cumbersome in many existing appliances. If an agitator or sweep is provided, it may be difficult to remove or manage the rotating agitator or sweep within an ice bin. Ice may periodically melt and refreeze within the ice bin, making it especially difficult to remove or rotate the sweep or agitator. In some existing appliances, a top opening of the ice bin (e.g., through which ice falls into the ice bin from the ice maker) must be kept relatively small so that the sweep or agitator can be supported at a top portion of the ice bin. A motor may be provided to drive the sweep or agitator. However, it may be difficult to arrange the motor and agitator connection in such a way that does not further restrict access to the ice bin or a user's ability to remove the ice bin from the refrigerator appliance.
As a result, there is a need for an improved refrigerator appliance and ice bin assembly. In particular, it would be advantageous to provide a refrigerator or ice bin addressing one or more of the above identified issues.